CSI: NY - 1.11: "Tri-Borough" Review

The CSIs investigate three different cases in three different boroughs of the city. In two of the stories they claim it was an accident, but that's the case in only one case.

In story 1, a DB is found on a subway track, without any wallet or keys.   There's no evidence of a struggle.   Rail electrocutions are foot to foot, here Mac (Gary Sinise) says it's hand to foot.   Mac asks why the kid crossed the rail and Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) as always has a reply, "To get to the other side."  Mac: "One way or another."  Hawkes (Hill Harper) hasn't officially identified him yet and refers to "slick" shins.   The DB was covered with a hydrophobic substance and there was presence of anti-mortum bruising.   COD was ventricular defibrilation.   Underwent "locking on" phenomena which is the result of AC current.   The subway runs on DC and has the opposite effect on the muscle tissue.  The burns are post mortum.

Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) admires a painting in a gallery, in story 2.   Kylie (Kelly Hu) asks "You like what you see Messer?"  Leo Whitfield, ( Sean Vincent Biggins) an art dealer with no priors has been shot.   There's no signs of a robbery and Danny replies, "I can see why." Ron Leatham (TJ Thyne) owns the bookstore across the street.   Danny notices high velocity blood spatter on another painting near the DB.   There's evidence of powder burns so he was shot at close range.  GSW was through and through.  An insurance document is found at the scene: "This is to certify that 'Inhumanity' ...owned by Charles Downright of 234 reason Street, NY was destroyed by fire on 6 October 1814." A bullet is also found.

In story 3, Aiden (Vanessa Ferlito) looks into a DB found at a construction site, with a smell emanating from his clothes.   Bill Lamakkia (Brad Prepon) was filling in at the site.  Aiden asks if anyone saw anything.   Flack (Eddie Cahill) with his usual reply, "When does anyone ever see anything?"

A note is found in the DB's clothes and olive oil covered his body.   Also a finger from a statue is found as well as a digital camera.   In the fist story.   The DB couldn't let go when he was shocked.   The body was found blocks away and twenty houses on the same power grid lost power last night.   One house has a statue outside with a missing finger.   The owner, Bob Galanis (Ray Abruzzo) doesn't recognize the Vic.   Mac says he was dumped in the only neighbourhood that lost power.   Stella comments Mac is having "one of those connected moments." The digital camera has photos with a date and a place, Prospect Park.   Stella: "We have a where and a when."   Mac: "In order to get to a what, we need to start with a who."  A man on the camera footage leaves behind a newspaper, with a fingerprint.   Funnily enough the newspaper was still there.   Randy Ortiz, the Vic (Freddy Bouciegues) was into free running.

In the second story, the bullet is traced  to a homicide.   The suspect in the case was Paul Gianetti (Jay Acovone) and was related to the Pastelli family.   Gianetti tells Danny that Whitefield sold him a fake painting.   Whitefield wanted a gun.   Danny tells him he's not a rookie.   Kylie says the painting is authentic.   Danny runs an x-ray, which shows the paint used was lead, which was used back then.   Today white paint is titanium based, but lead based can also be based.   He then carries out an infra red spectral analysis to see if any new paint was added.   There are hairline cracks in the paint which are also in the signature.   Danny concludes the document is a fake, but the painting is real.

Hawkes identifies COD in Aiden's Vic as a massive cranial fracture.   His skull was shattered with one blow.   The smell from his wound is a chemical smell.   Hawkes: "Down here we call that a James Brown.   It's funky."  The chemicals are found in deodorizers and disinfectants, found in a portaloo, aka portapotty.

At Randy's apartment, Stella and Mac find burned CDs and DVDs, with the name, 'Julie G'.   (Noa Hegesh)   Also expensive olive oil.   Which matches the body swab from Randy.   Exclusively sold by Galanis, which gives them the connection.   Mac: "There's no coincidence in crime." They go back to the house with the broken finger statue.   The lock is broken on the bedroom door and olive oil is present on the sheets.   There's a handprint on the window and burnt skin on the flagpole outside.   Randy was electrocuted there.   The pole had crocodile clips on it and some prints on these match Bob Galanis.   The others don't match.

In story 2, Danny tests the ink on the documents, iron was used in inks in 1814.   It's not the ink that was forged, have to look at the paper.   The painting was Carbon 14 tested.   Showing the paper is as real as the painting.   Reason Street used to be Greenwich Village, named after Thomas Payne's the Age of Reason.   Reason street was actually Raison street, which was Barrow Street, named after Thomas Barrow.   Danny missed what was staring right at him, that there was a Reason Street and a fire, but not in 1814, but 1776.   Became barrow street in 1809.   Barrow Street art gallery, so Whitefield was a forger.   The painting is real, so the document isn't important.   Mac: "So someone else killed your art dealer."
 Danny: "I need to find the evidence."  Think he said that for Mac's benefit, ha.

Aiden and Flack return to the CS and Flack says: "After you, may be evidence."  The toilet was knocked over when Bill was still inside.   Prints outside match Brian, who was caught drinking on the job.   Flack finds his alibi checks out.   Aiden says the chemicals in the toilet flush match the clothes, but not the chemicals in the wound.   There's an odd chemical out as it's found in airline toilet disposal.   Blue Ice.   Any liquid from a plane freezes, when the plane descends, the temperature rises and falls.   The site is near La Guardia.   Flack, putting it so eloquently, ha, comments "So a crapsical killed this guy."  Yeah it was a case of death by potty.

Whitefield's past is clean so Danny has to go back in time.   He finds that the first page in a book is blank, so if a page was used from an old book, the earliest he can document it is 1840.   Leading to Leatham's bookstore, who wipes his glasses on a handkerchief.   Blood spatter is on the cover of a book and the first page is missing.   He lent Whitefield his books and he was shot in a struggle.   Leatham took the money, stating history can't be reproduced, but adds Danny, "You can die trying."

In the fist story, Bob broke the bedroom lock, so the prints would be his on the cable.   His dying was an accident, he was protecting Julie like he's protecting his son, Will (Carter Jenkins) whose fingerprints are on the cable.   His wagon gave him away, as it has traces of olive oil.   Mac says it was Randy perspiring that killed him.   Will asks if you perspire when having sex.   He thinks "it was cool,"  Randy being electrocuted.

The first time three stories were covered in an episode of CSI:NY.   None of the killers actually showed any remorse for their actions, Will thought it was cool watching someone die and Leatham claimed he did it for the preservation of history, yet murder is murder, even if you try to say it was an accident, cos covering it up makes it even worse.   The painting Danny looks at in the art gallery was actually painted by Carmine and is entitled, 'Sister Tight'.

Aiden gets another chance to work on her own, though her cases this time didn't really prove difficult and was the one which was actually a real accident.   In CSI episode, Sex, Lies and Larvae, Catherine proved the painting was fake, but not to such elaborate lengths as Danny proving it was authentic here.   In the CSI season 2 episode Caged, the librarian was also concerned about rare books.

NCIS - 7.10: "Faith" Review

Christmas sees the arrival of Gibbs' father and the murder of a Marine who had converted his religion, much to the chagrin of his family. Tony has to buy a Secret Santa gift and McGee and Ziva get to tease him about this.

A couple  in the park to cut down a Christmas tree, find a DB in his underwear in the snow.  Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) father, Jackson (Ralph Waite) turns up unexpectedly early.  Gibbs asks whose fault it really is for him not being here sooner.   As in years ago.  Gibbs doesn't have cable and only a black and white TV, also he got rid of the guestroom too.   He still has Kelly's bike.   Gibbs is surprised he actually came.   He needs curtains on his window, loved the snow effect.

Tony (Michael Weatherly) "Man up chilly willy," he says to McGee (Sean Murray) and should embrace his inner "McGrizzly Adams." Ziva (Cote de Pablo) isn't cold and Tony refers to her as a "frigid ice queen" and she's cold blooded like a lady Komodo dragon.  Ziva is wearing thermals.   Good to know.  Tony will give her $50 for them, well they won't fit him for starters and Gibbs isn't even wearing a scarf! The dead Marine's father is Minister Ellis (Joe Regelbuto).  Nearby the DB, they find towel and soapy water.   Ducky (David McCallum) comments if he had turned around it might have saved his life.   McGee notices the recent footprints in the snow, but they didn't necessarily have to belong to the killer, they could be of those who found him.  The Vic had a compass as he was praying there.   Which is why he had a prayer mat.  Gibbs says he was praying when he was killed.

McGee finds he changed religion 8 months ago.  Tony comments he's not Tiny Tim but desperate times calls for desperate measures and he took a catalogue from the neighbour's doorstep.   Nothing's safe or sacred when Tony's around.   He needs a gift for Secret Santa, for Dolores ( Kate Fuglei).   McGee recalls he wished her a Happy Valentine's and she threatened him with sexual harassment.  Col/Reverend Ellis thinks it could have been a hate crime.   His son was married 2 years.   Gibbs remembers Col Ellis, he's a Reverend now and blames himself for pushing his beliefs onto his son.  His other son, Patrick (Brando Eaton) was an obvious suspect for me, since it had to have been someone in the family who killed him.

Palmer (Brian Dietzen) asks if Muslims really pray five times a day.   Ducky replies it takes dedication.   He's waiting for the cleric before the autopsy, but finds lacerations to his shoulder and neck, the blow was in a downwards motion.   There's paint residue and thread in the wound, so he knew his attacker.   Tony accepts some chocolates from Gibbs' father.   Gibbs calls Tony "Bubble butt." Tony says his metabolism is slowing with age, that's not all that's slowing.   Thomas's wife, Tina ( Lindsay Pulsip) had a fling and he found out.  The Chaplin Sayad (Corey Reynolds) likens the Marine code to the Islamic code: of honour, commitment and courage.   Ziva comments that ignorance and bigotry remain problems in the military.   Thomas tried and found something missing in his life.  He changed his name to Tariq Bashir and the others found his need to pray inopportune.   They should speak with Lewis Tibbins (Aaron McPherson) as they didn't get along.

Gibbs liked the smell of coal.   He's building toys, it's more about the wood for him.   His father comments he doesn't believe in Santa but in hobbies.   Gibbs wants him to help, the toys are for the childrens' hospital.   Ziva says this bar is where "red throats" hang out.   Tony corrects her with "rednecks." Thought she would have recalled that distinction and gotten over it by now after season 3's ranger episode, Ravenous.   Where they were at a similar bar and she made the same comment about rednecks.  But no, she still got it wrong.   Tony: "They call you Mr Tibbs."  (Hey that's Gibbs' name from McGee's book!) He calls Ziva his probationary sidekick.  Tibbins comments how a pretty thing like Ziva has never killed anything.   Little does he know.   Ziva begins a bar brawl when she cuffs Tibbins.

Tibbins admits no one liked a devout Muslim on patrol.   He didn't kill Thomas; but was paid money to convince Thomas to quit the Corps.   Tony tells him they were paid to be bigots.  The money was wired.  Abby (Pauley Perrette)  introduces McGee to Carol Wilson ( Meredith Eaton) whom she attended college with and is her best friend.    She drinks Caf nog and asks McGee if he can arrange for Carol's nephew, Fisher (Harrison Forsyth) to speak with his mother on Christmas Eve as she's on a destroyer.  McGee replies Sat feeds are restricted.

Tony finds two marines accepted the bribe.   Ziva speaks ten languages and Tony suggests Ziva should check out the Interpol lead.   Gibbs' fireplace is clogged and he brought his mother's decorations for the Christmas tree.  Gibbs leaves his gun in the front room which his father doesn't like and wants Gibbs to listen to him, just this once.   Tony finds the money came from the Reverend's account and comments people do things for misguided reasons.   His son was a Marine, not people and Gibbs says he was still subject to the same laws.  The Reverend didn't want Thomas discharged but only wanted him to stop practising his faith.  Gibbs is angry the Reverend paid off men his son trusted with his life.  The Reverend refers to Thomas as having a different God.   Gibbs: "One and the same Colonel."

Ziva and McGee watch Tony squirm with Dolores.   She knows he's her Secret Santa.   Ziva suggests he should kill her with kindness.  Abby says her job involves the "keen eye of science" and has cooked gingerbread cookies of herself.  Which Ziva refuses to eat as she can't eat Abby.  She found traces of aluminium and titanium in his wound and the killer was athletic.   Gibbs believes the weapon was a baseball bat.  Ducky and his father laugh over old stories about Gibbs and the sheep.   Ducky has a "roose to be goasted."  His father is sweet and more accessible than Gibbs.   Clearly Ducky's well into the Christmas spirits!  But can still make determinations as to how his father is feeling.   Ducky tells Gibbs his father is lonely and under emotional distress and Gibbs isn't Martha Stewart.

McGee says he has orders from Admiral Nicholas Whitebeard of the North and Tony calls him McScrooge.   Tony tells them Vance (Rocky Carroll) found out Col Ellis was visiting the SecNav at the time and Thomas's wife drove him.   The Chaplin receives a note in the mail saying Thomas died because of him and refuses protection.  He speaks to teens and said it's immoral for someone to not accept them.   He spoke to Patrick's class too.  

Abby feels like Scrooge being visited by the three ghosts of Christmas: Ziva, Gibbs and McGee.   It took someone with speed and agility to kill Thomas.   Tony comments he has those abilities.  Tony calls Ziva Probette and asks where her holiday spirit is.   Patrick played Lacrosse.   Ziva mentions Abel and Cain who killed his brother (as I suspected.)  Well the brother did it.   Patrick lost his temper.   He killed him for their father as Thomas was embarrassing them.   The Reverend slaps him, he found his God, but Thomas was his son.   There's the 'his God' comment again.   The Reverend thinks he turned his back on Thomas.

Gibbs and his father talk, he spoke with Betty.   He was going to be robbed in the store and he had his gun, so he shot the robber.   It's not the first time he's killed, but it's the first time he saw his face, cos everything looks different from a cockpit.   He wonders how Gibbs did it all these years since he was a sniper.  Gibbs says it's not meant to be easy.   Tony gives Dolores her present, the doll she wanted as a child but never got.   He looked in her personnel file as he has clearance.   Fisher gets to speak with his mother courtesy of McGee.   Abby believes McGee will make a great Santa.   Gibbs takes the sack of toys for the children, looking very much like a Santa.

Plenty of controversy surrounding this episode when it was aired in the US, with some groups angrily suggesting this was not an appropriate subject matter for a Christmas episode.   Let's see what was wrong with those comments.   Well firstly they didn't show any Christmas spirit, Christmas isn't purely about religion, it's the sentiments involved and what it truly stands for, giving and being charitable.   It's not to berate another religion, any religion.   And clearly they missed the point completely here.  But I won't go on with that discussion here, as this isn't the forum and it's old news.   This episode was about fathers and sons, what with Gibbs' own father paying a visit and they had plenty to talk about.   The contrast between their relationship, with Gibbs taking the time out to talk and comfort him, not being afraid to show he really does care for his father; to the Reverend making judgements about Thomas, who was his son firstly and religion shouldn't have come into their relationship.  Being a Reverend he should have known better and since when do you put down another religion, he's meant to be a man of God, the same God.

Lots to think about in this episode, as well as the fun bits too.   More references from Tony to films and shows, such as Hee Haw, The Grinch, Newhart and They Call Me Mr Tibbs.   Abby's skeleton Santa.   Ziva says "Bah, Humbog" instead of Humbug.   Meredith Eaton was married to Michael Gildon, who played Abby's friend, Marty, in season 4.   The catalogue Tony takes from his neighbour is called 'Larry and Diamond' an allusion to Larry Fuentes, who does the special effects on the show and Diamond Farnsworth, the stunt co-ordinator and son of actor, Richard Farnsworth.   Also hard to believe all that snow was actually paper.

Desperate Housewives - 8.9: "Putting It Together" Review

Vance gets closer to finding the real truth opening up a number of suspects and motives in his eventual 'accident.' Lynette comes clean to Tom about her part in the cover-up.

 Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) "Whenever Bree van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) was feeling low, she found solace in the act of baking...when her first husband passed away she baked coffee cake...when her second husband went to jail she made sugar cookies.   So when Bree's best friends stopped speaking to her she thought hot cherry scones might thaw their chilly relationships."  Susan (Teri Hatcher) doesn't answer the door and Juanita (Madison de La Garza) claims Gaby (Eva Longoria) is in church, but it's Thursday.   She was told to say that.   Lynette (Felicity Huffman)  replies she wonders why no one will talk to Bree.  "Bake your way out of this one." She's isolated.   Lynette calls her controlling which is what she tried to do to them, but that's just Lynette talking about herself. She's controlling and manipulative as this episode will show.   Look at how she used her predicament to make Tom (Doug Savant) stay in the country!

Bree's on her own.   Mary Alice: "Yes, Bree had always taken comfort in baking but when baking failed her - took comfort in something else." She drinks.   See she could have bonded with Carlos (Richardo Antonio Chavira).   She would have had an ally in him and then maybe she wouldn't have to resort to drinking, even if he was.

Mary Alice: "In a place as peaceful as Wisteria Lane [peaceful, sorry I have to interject, how many killings, so-called accidents, fights, have they had on this Lane?] the smallest crime can prompt a call to the police...yes the women were used to calling the police.   What they weren't used to was the police actually calling on them."  Vance (Jonathan cake) brings them in for a "casual chat."  Susan claims it's hard to say why an artist paints and doesn't know why she painted that.   Vance presumes it's cos she feels guilty over what she did.  He asks about Ramon Sanchez, why did Alejandro have another name.   Vance thinks Lynette would have made a good cop and she must stop lying.   Vance thinks what she's hiding is a reason for Tom leaving her.   Lynette slaps him and maybe that gave her an idea to actually stop Tom from leaving for Paris.   She slapped him cos he told her to forget he was a cop.

Vance says Sanchez has two girls who may never see their dad again and that ain't no bad thing either considering his track record as an abusive father.   He was appealing to Gaby's personal side here cos of Carlos and they have two children.   The way he said this line made it seem as if Vance knew Carlos actually did it, or that he was trying to break Gaby.   She claims Carlos is in rehab cos he had an affair which triggered his drinking.

Bree drinks some more and crashes a women's night out at a bar.  She calls one Lynette and refuses to leave them alone.   So why didn't they just change tables?   Ben (Charles Mesure) knows Bree doesn't recall the night before and Bree doesn't want him to tell anyone.   He suggests she should start making up with the friend who hates her the least.   Renee (Vanessa Williams) spies them together and assumes they spent the night with each other.   Hey she took her time, I said that when Ben came to Bree's rescue with Vance.

Susan tells Mike (James Denton) she always does that thing "when I lie to you."   He asks what.   Susan: "Like I'm gonna tell you." She thinks they should get away for a while and Mike says that will make Vance suspicious.   Gaby is refused entry to the rehab centre to see Carlos and sneaks in with a family.   She claims to be the boy, Jimmy's (Jeremy Luke) girlfriend.   He doesn't recall her and thinks if had her as a girlfriend, then he needs help, cos of her looks.   They always give Gaby a line about her looks and body.   She said the same to Vance earlier when he said Carlos had an affair and she asked why he would cheat on someone with her figure.   Carlos is vacuuming which Gaby comments he doesn't do at home.   He tells her, "what you think he knows is about one tenth of what he knows."  Carlos claims Vance must be stopped.   That's one motive and threat.

Lynette discovers Tom has already left for the airport and Susan approaches Felix (Leslie Jordan) for the money from the paintings sale.   He asks if she's "jumping off a bridge?" No that's Bree, kind of.   Renee asks Ben why he hugged Bree and Vance arrives to question Ben about his girlfriend, Bree.   Maliciously saying that to make waves between the two of them.   He's closing down construction on the site since Alejandro/Ramon made his last call from there.   How did he make his last call from there when he was already dead?  Does this mean Carlos didn't kill him but someone else did, maybe whoever sent the note to Bree?   Vance is shutting Ben down for as long as it takes.   Giving Ben motive also.

Tom talks about Lynette to Jane (Andrea Parker) and she'd like him to stop.   Look at Tom running off to Paris already with his new girlfriend/mistress.   Lynette confronts him in the men's room and shows him she's removed her ring.   She tells Tom about being an accessory.    Bree wonders why Vance didn't question her.   He's determined to bring Bree and the others down.   Gaby says this won't end until Vance is stopped, another motive from her.   Jane catches them in the loo and Tom says he's staying but can't tell her why.

Susan wants to move to NY cos Felix puts the idea into her head.   Bree deals with Vance and will sign a confession if he keeps her friends out.   He loves seeing Bree in pain, she's too resilient.   She has nothing else to offer.   Vance believes she should have taken his offer of marriage.   Well then she wouldn't have discovered how much of a psycho he really is.   Renee asks Karen (Kathryn Joosten) if Bree has been entertaining Ben lately.   She doesn't think Ben would cheat on her and Karen thinks Renee is hot.   She reminds her of herself 35 years ago and she should fight for Ben.   Renee would have liked to have met her 35 years ago.

Mike doesn't want to move and it won't deter Vance.   Susan no longer sees her friends anymore and wants to leave.   This also gives Mike a motive too.   Moving isn't his dream and once again it's about Susan once more.  Vance is pursuing a different angle on the investigation and shows Gaby a clipping of Alejandro.   Susan and Lynette all had a different reaction to the photo of him but Gaby smirked.   Why?  Ramon is Alejandro and he's opening an official casefile.   Now that's Gaby's motive as her world comes crashing down.   Carlos has checked out of rehab so he has no alibi.   Ben isn't home when Renee knocks and she sees Bree drive away.   Will she follow her and rescue her?  Seems likely cos she thinks she's meeting with Ben at a seedy hotel, like she did with Karl.   Not that Renee probably knows about Karl.   Vance is run over in the road.

Mary Alice: "Just when my friends needed each other most they find themselves utterly alone...one needed to find her husband...one the consequences of revealing a secret...but for one of my friends, the sense of isolation was so complete there might be no escaping it."  Bree sees Mary Alice in the flesh or imagines her and asks what happened to her prefect life on the Lane and her dear friends.    How did she lose it all?  Mary Alice replies things change and she's not unhappy where she is.   Bree picks up the gun...here the US had it's Christmas break but the rest of us will get the episode next week, even if it is two months late!   At time of writing.

Don't much like Gaby's high and mighty stance when she's the reason behind Bree's situation and yet she refuses to speak to her now.   She's so caught up in her own world that she doesn't see the tell tale signs of despair in Bree.   Same goes for Lynette and Susan dreams of running away, that'll make her forget her guilt.   Lynette possibly just sees it as a chance to hang on to Tom.   Yet they're all selfish.   Gaby is the cause of all their problems as far as Alejandro is concerned; and for the tightening noose now around their necks,  all cos of a smirk from Gaby.

An episode that was much better than the past ones with plenty of angst and it was also character driven but still being predictable in places.   Mind you Mary Alice appeared to be smirking at Bree, the way she smiled and replied, "things change." Willing Bree to pull the trigger like she did and prove she's just as weak.   Mary Alice wasn't prefect or had the perfect family but Bree is so very different to her.   She may seem aloof at times but has her head screwed on straight.

I'm still intrigued as to why Vance told Ben, Alejandro used his phone at the construction site.   No really and no one picked up on that.   Ben didn't want Vance hanging around there cos Mike reburied his body there.   Does Ben know he's buried there?   Surprised Vance didn't bring in Karen who is oblivious to what's happening anyway.

Death by car accidents also seen in 2.23  Remember and the conversation about the lie was also done in 21.6 A Little Night Music; part of Gaby's conversation.  Gaby: "You were doing that thing you do when you lie."  Carlos: "What thing?"  Gaby: "Oh like I'm gonna tell you."  Bree's motel room in 6.1 and Mary Alice appearing to Lynette when she was taking pills and having personal issues.   Nothing's changed then aside from the pill popping.   George (Bree's beau) was in seven episodes and was killed in 2.9 and Vance was also in seven episodes and was killed off in 8.9.  In season 6 Bree was at the motel room 217 with Karl.

The Closer - 6.11: "Old Money" Review

Flynn is attacked after leaving an AA meeting and this leads to one of his old cases and accusations of witness tampering. Fritz tells Brenda Tommy Delk may make her assistant Chief.

Flynn (Tony Dension) has just attended his AA meeting, when a man approaches him to speak about the meeting and how he stays sober.   As Flynn leaves and heads towards his car, he is attacked by a man with a knife.   Flynn manages to shoot him and calls Captain Raydor (Mary McDonnell) for help.   He gives her his gun and tells her what happened before passing out.   At the hospital, he wakes to find Provenza (GW Bailey) at his bedside with a balloon, stating "It's a girl."  That's all they had, how did I know that's what he'd say?   Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) is also there.

Raydor tells Flynn if he can describe his attacker and ID him, then she'll take on the case, but if he can't then Major Crimes can investigate.   He says he can't and when she leaves he says he knows what his attacker looked like.   He was attacked by Bobby Harris (Michael Smith) and Provenza and Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) leave to check out his home.   Money is found there, which Tao (Michael Paul Chan) comments is a batch of 'old money'.   Flynn mentions his AA meeting and they're anonymous when Brenda asks him for a list of attendees. What was Brenda thinking?  The name suggests it's anonymous and he feels she should ask Fritz (Jon Tenney) about it.   Bobby was found where he was dumped in San Bernadino.   Flynn: "Who would want to kill me?"
Brenda: "Lots of people, I'm sure, but who would actually go through the trouble?"

At home, Brenda tells Fritz she should accompany him to his meetings, which he thinks is a good idea, but her real reason is wanting to find the man in the sketch, i.e Bobby.   Fritz asks for five minutes with her to canoodle and she leaves specifying she didn't say when that five minutes would be.   Before that, Fritz tells her Tommy Delk may be appointing her assistant Chief, but she doesn't want Pope's (JK Simmons) job, he's her friend.

The team search through all of Flynn's past cases and he notices Rick Zuman (Peter Paige) who was accused of money laundering.   His bookkeeper gave testimony against him and an FBI informant also vanished.   Brenda talks with Rick, whose case is on appeal since the witness against him, Florina (Svetlana Efremova) claims to have found God and changed her statement, saying Flynn coerced her into making it.

Raydor didn't tell Brenda about the investigation on Flynn cos she can't share that info under the law, showing Brenda, Flynn's large case file and gives her Florina's file.   Brenda confronts Pope as to why he didn't tell her about this investigation.   When given the chance, he gets to reply this is the first he's heard of it.   Brenda will make Florina come to her.   Taylor (Robert Gossett) and Gabriel go to her house in order to warn her about a hitman who has been hired to take care of the witnesses in the case.  Describing him as Hispanic in a blue hoodie and driving a certain car.   When they leave, Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) circles the house in his hoodie and looks through her window.   She calls 911 and Provenza receives a call back from the police, then tells them to ignore her calls.

Florina shows up as Brenda wanted and Brenda shows her the money they found.   Florina wants to revert to her original statement.   She was paid the money by Jeff (Michael Mosley) but she only has his number.   She arranges a meeting with him.   Buzz (Phillip P Keene) is annoyed Brenda is making a mess in his car.   Of course Jeff, turns out to be the man at the AA meeting and is enamored with Rick.   Brenda meets Jeff and tells him if he pays her money, she'll won't charge him with dumping Bobby's DB and gives him bags with a tracker inside.  Raydor arrives at the storage facility with Fritz who finds some of the bills match FBI serial numbers, part of their investigation when the informant disappeared.

Brenda bets Rick she can make him confess showing him the money and that Jeff made a statement, causing Rick to confess like she said.   Brenda notices Raydor's being nice to her so they can help each other out.   Brenda wants her five minutes with Fritz now in her office.   An episode where Brenda already has her plan to ensnare Rick by running a play on Florina, even before the end of the episode, since that's when her 'tricking' the suspect usually comes into play.   Here she gets to trick Florina and Rick as well.   Rick is thinking he could fool Brenda and win his appeal.   Sorry no one's managed to fool Brenda thus far and if they do, she gets her own back in the end anyway.

Perhaps Raydor was being nice to her just incase Brenda gets to be Assistant Chief, helping her out to get into her good books.   Fritz wouldn't mind Brenda getting the job either.   Even Provenza notices Raydor's up to something as he comments at the start.   She even said hello to Gabriel.

CSI: Miami - 8.12: "Show Stopper" Review

The CSIs investigate the death of a popstar and is Jesse's mysterious past beginning to catch up with him, after Calleigh questions him on using the Hummer for personal reasons.

A singer bursts into flames on stage and is pronounced dead by the EMTs.   Ryan (Jonathan Togo) points out their evidence is on the gurney, but her doctor, Dr Beckham (Alan Ruck) isn't interested.   Ryan did however manage to snag the costume.   Calleigh (Emily Procter) wonders how the world's greatest popstar could have caught fire and survived.   Ryan says she didn't survive.   Horatio (David Caruso) arrives.   The way Horatio drove to the CS in slow motion with the crowd outside, looked like they were all waiting to see him!  ME Tom (Christian Clemenson) is in a bit of a huff since he can't get access to the Vic.   Horatio telling them to get out of his way, cos he's taking charge of the situation.    ME Tom doesn't see any signs of edema from the lungs so she wasn't breathing when on fire.   Horatio spells it out, "She was already dead."

Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) talks with the pyrotechnic guy and asks if anyone could have tampered with them.   They were meant to go towards the audience.   Jesse believes the fire masked who killed Phoenicks.   She was sprayed with bronzer beforehand and so was covered in accelerant as Calleigh puts it.   The make-up woman inadvertently states "she shouldn't have burned."  Ryan comments she was flat-lining when she was here.

Julian (Brennan Elliott) her manager calls her death an 'inconvenience'.   Horatio: "I call it obstruction."  He was backstage when it happened but she didn't have any enemies (that was an understatement.)  He comments people become targets when they're famous.   Rick Stetler (David Lee Smith) corners Calleigh to ask about the mileage discrepancy in her log.   She can't account for it and tells him Jesse borrowed the Hummer, too late, she already put her foot in and dropped him in it.   Then tries to backtrack by saying she can't remember.   Cos she's gonna have it out with Jesse later.

Walter (Omar Miller) comments on how tiny Phoenicks dress was and he was a fan.   He has such eclectic tastes in music and other pursuits doesn't he, also confessing to liking rock music a few episodes back.   Ryan isn't a fan, "I'm not an 11 year old girl."  That was really dismissive and abrupt from him.   Sometimes it's hard to tell what's going through his head.     Ryan notices a point of ignition on the dress and some strange metallic wiring on the dress.   Her designer didn't design her clothes and the wires weren't part of the dress.   Julian dealt with everything.

Travers (Christopher Redman) identifies the wiring as copper from a stun gun, which in turn ignited her make-up, the bronzer.  ME Tom explains her COD was a heart attack resulting from fatal muscular interruption.   No stun probes were found on the DB.   Ryan comments on her having a nose job, but she hasn't had one and her wisdom teeth are still intact too.   Horatio: "Who is this?"  It's not Phoebe Nichols (Lucy Hale) on the table, but Vanessa Patten.   Phoebe quit.   No one else knew except Julian and Horatio calls that fraud.   Melanie Nichols, (Jackie Debatin) Phoebe's mother and manager tells Calleigh she was fired.   Phoebe also emancipated herself.   (Get the impression this was really based on Britney, and other teen popstars of today; at least parts of her character.)  Calleigh thinks Phoebe may be the real target.

Dave (Wes Ramsey) reconstructed the CS, of sorts, with the use of the footage from cameras and phones and recreated the concert.   A 180 degree picture of the events reveals a pickpocket in the crowd stealing her bracelet.   Identified as Robbie (Erik Scott Smith) she owed him money and he's her number 1 fan.   An obvious clue, it's always the number 1 fan who has the greatest involvement in such cases.   She ignored him and Ryan notices his bitterness.   Calleigh checks Phoenicks' website and Jesse asks her if it's personal or business.   Phoebe is actually alive and Jesse associates this with Elvis.   Calleigh adds Elvis is actually dead.   Jesse: "Is he?" There's one place owned by Phoebe's umbrella company which they haven't checked out.   I was about to ask when Calleigh was going to confront Jesse about the mileage but I thought too soon, ha.   Jesse is defensive when she does ask and he's very angry saying he'll handle it and then apologizes for his outburst.

Inside they hear singing coming through the walls, leading to Phoebe.   (In a scene almost similar to the CSI season 11 House of Hoarders episode; where the mother had her daughter tied up as she was a killer.   Only Phoebe wasn't a killer here and her mother was guilty.   As was so obvious.   Oh and CSI:Miami filmed this a year earlier.   Jesse thinks she was drugged with sedatives and Calleigh notices something in her arm.   Jesse processes the house and finds a bottle of Haloperidol.   Tripp (Rex Linn) brings in Dr Beckham and tells him not to play dumb.   She was drugged since she suffers from mania and was to be kept drugged for the duration of her tour.   He didn't kill her but Horatio says she'd have become a living legend if she died during a performance.

Calleigh reassures Phoebe her whereabouts won't be revealed during the investigation.   Phoebe dreamed of being a singer but doesn't want that anymore.   The implant in her arm was a GPS tracker.   Phoebe bonds with Calleigh since she's the only one who shows her any kindness and doesn't want her to leave.   She promises to return later.   Dave examines the tracker and finds the signal hasn't been deactivated.   Conveniently, as in the previous episode, the web feed was still active leading to the suspect.  This leads to Melanie who was tracking her as Julian wouldn't let her near Phoebe.   Watch her look down and left when Calleigh questions, always a sure sign the suspect is lying.   Phoebe thinks it's weird looking at her own funeral, but this should be for Vanessa, not for her.   Calleigh reassures Phoebe she'll find something else to do; but she has to let people know she's still alive.

Walter and Ryan process the evidence and Walter notices the bracelet is still here.   Ryan tells him to take it to the evidence locker.   He asks Ryan to use ALS (Alternate Light Source) to examine the bracelet; revealing a sticker on it.   Ryan calls it an anti-theft microtag.   Walter thinks it's from the stun gun, so the serial number can be traced.  All stun gun models have microdots when they're fired and the number can be tracked to the stun gun.   Which was traced to Robbie, as we knew all along.   He protested too much about not knowing it was Vanessa and not having a stun gun.   Melanie was his accomplice and she wanted to reveal Vanessa as a fake.   It's always parents who do it for the money and fame; living vicariously through their children, cos it's what they always wanted.   See previous CSI: Miami episodes where this has been done.   Such as Cyber-lebrity.

Jesse apologizes to Calleigh for earlier, allowing her to get things off her chest.   She doesn't know what to think and doesn't know him.   Well that's true, he left when she arrived and has only just returned; so she wouldn't have known him that well in the space of a few months.   To her, he walks around "with an air of mystery" and she knows he's hiding something.   (Don't think she can read Delko (Adam Rodriguez) as well either and she's known him longer.   Well rather Jesse walking around mysteriously, than Delko! is what I say.)  She's seen all this before and wonders if she can trust him.   So finally getting Jesse to spill: that he's been following a woman he knew in LA.   She's in danger as he knows the man she lives with.   He worked on an investigation in LA where a woman was killed by her husband and it was this same man.   He also killed Jesse's wife.   His lawyer got him off.

So the mystery deepened as far as Jesse's past was concerned, but still brought up more questions than answers; such as when he was married, for how long, what really happened and is he telling the truth now or do we still think he's nothing but a stalker with nefarious intentions.   Calleigh took him at his word, which either makes her really gullible, trustful or was she just stringing him along, pretending she believes him.   Since she didn't have much to say after that.

However, questions aside, we know Jesse isn't bad, Horatio wouldn't have him working here if he was and look how many times Ryan's been in trouble and he's still here.   Jesse calls his use of the Hummer a personal errand, which is exactly what it was.

Rick on the scene and the bracelet not being placed in evidence is a future plotline in itself.   But you know by now whenever Rick's on the scene, nothing is ever simple or straightforward which is good.   It's like he has a menacing effect and keeps the show interesting.

Ryan, unlike Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) in the CSI:Miami/CSI:NY intro episode, MIA/NYC-Nonstop, didn't manage to be as intrusive as her when wanting evidence from the Vic before being taken away on the gurney.  

CSI: Miami loves its fire/pyrotechnics episodes.

Smallville - 10.15: "Fortune" Review

Clark and the gang are overcome by a spell after drinking a bottle of champagne sent by Zatanna in celebration of Clark and Lois' engagement. Things go more than awry at their hen and stag dos.

Clark (Tom Welling) stares at Lois (Erica Durance) as if he's never seen her in a dress before.   Chloe's (Allison Mack) never seen him this happy before.   Oliver (Justin Hartley), Tess (Cassidy Freeman) and Emil (Alessandro Juliani) all toast the happy couple.  Chloe: "to friends."

Next day, Clark wakes to see an 'S' emblazoned onto the ceiling of his room and a ring on his finger.   Then discovers Chloe in a wedding dress in the closet.   She too wears a ring. "What did we do?"  Chloe tells him not to say 'consummate'.   The farm is trashed.   Alcohol isn't meant to affect Clark and Clark sees the champagne was a gift from Zatanna.   They were put under a spell when they drank.   The mind wipe affected them all.

Clark finds his wallet on the limo and 'Just married' is written all over the limo.   Chloe looked very Sarah Jessica Parker in her wedding attire.   Reminded me of the pink dress SJP used to wear in the opening creds of Sex and the City.

Clark has a text from Lois saying she needs more time.   He recalls the first time he kissed Lois she left town and when she discovered he was the Blur, she went to Egypt.   Chloe finds Dr Emil's pants in the backseat as well as a wedding certificate, torn in half.  "Holy matrimony." This has her name and signature on it.   So if she did marry Clark, which is highly unlikely, where is Clark's half of it.   Clark walks away and straight into the wall, his abilities are affected.

Clark finds Dr Emil dressed as Elvis, as he and Tess sing.   The limo driver (Paula Elle) tells him of the Chapel of Love.   Dr Emil is arrested for making an armoured truck disappear.   Tess comments there's only one person she knows who can do that and calls him 'Clarkie.'  Hey Tess, get your own nickname for him, I've been calling him Clarkie for ten years!

A bag woman steals Lois' shoes whilst she's unconscious.   Lois and Oliver are together in a seedy part of town.  Strange Clarkie ended up with Chloe and Lois with Oliver.   Oliver says he survived the world's greatest bachelor party.   Lois thought she'd wake up with someone, "taller, darker and a whole different handsome."  Oliver wears a green jacket.   Well he had to, it's his Green Arrow colour.   Wonder why then Chloe wears a green leather jacket of her own in some episodes.   Lois notices she's lost her engagement ring, well lucky otherwise said bag woman would have nicked that too.

Tess convinced Dr Emil to drink champagne as he doesn't normally drink.   Clark's beeping and he tracks the armoured truck back to the farm.   Oliver says he'll buy Lois an identical ring even if he no longer has his corporation.   Lois doesn't want a ring from her ex.   Lois finds a casino chip in her bra, she didn't feel that there all this time.   Lois: "I'm not twitching, there's something stuck in my bra."
Oliver: "That's not  my territory anymore."  Oliver tells her the "Pointer sisters" gave them a clue to where they were last night.

Tess tells Clark his behaviour was human after he says on his first drunken night out, he loses Lois, commits a crime and lands his friend in jail.  Yes but under the influence of the various Kryptonite colours, he's done much the same things.   Dr Emil isn't at the police station but instead is being beaten for info on the whereabouts of the money and the armoured truck.   His captor, Fortune (James Kidnie) shows him footage of Dr Emil knocking out two men.   He also claims he took his lucky lemur.   As soon as he mentioned luck, should have realized he'd be at the casino too.

Lois bet her ring and she would only do that if she was certain it was a 'sure thing'.   Meaning the casino cheated.   The boss being the man with Dr Emil, i.e Fortune.   Lois says she wanted her wedding to be perfect and that Clark would never lose his ring.   Lois and Oliver are caught and tied up.   Oliver breaks through the tape binding them and their only escape is to dress as showgirls on stage.

Chloe thinks the cops who took Dr Emil were fake as she and Clark also arrive at the casino.   She recognizes Lois as the showgirl and Oliver too.   Fortune goes for Oliver, finding him attractive and Chloe is recognized as someone who stole his money.   The highlight here was Oliver as a showgirl and then gets his top ripped off.

Dr Emil realizes Fortune is running a scam by stealing the armoured truck money and then reporting it stolen for the insurance.   Clark rescues Dr Emil.   Chloe and Clark turn out not to be married.   This reminded Clark of the good old days.   Chloe's saying goodbye as she's leaving.   She won't let Oliver give up his world for her.   But he already has!  Chloe can no longer be Watchtower, but she's more than that to Clark.  Chloe realizes she inspired Clark to greatness - but that was always his destiny - and her true calling is finding heroes and helping them reach their potential.   Clark's not alone, he's got Oliver and Lois.   Chloe has created a double identity like Clark.   She's the Star City's new reporter by day, just like Clark at the Daily Planet.   Chloe will always be there for him.

Tess says it was a nice surprise hearing Dr Emil sing, his having a special power of his own.   He hasn't sung since his wife died.   Tess doesn't think he should give it up.   Dr Emil's camera is found and Lois comes clean about the ring.   Clark telling her this week that she's the one who's important, not the ring.  Clark was under the impression he'd scared her away again.

They watch footage from the previous night's escapades.   Clark's ring was from a vending machine.   Dr Emil and Tess "got it on" together.

Chloe lets Oliver know she's leaving, well he figured it out for himself and shows her the other half of the marriage certificate with his name and signature.   They'll stay with each other, even if she's leaving.   So were they going to tell anyone else about this.   Clark didn't even seem interested in knowing what the wedding certificate was all about, more worried about himself and Lois.   So if they were married how come he ended up with Lois and Clark ended up with Chloe.   I know I asked that already.

Plenty of laughs in this episode - had a feeling they were just buying time until the hurried conclusion of the series within the next 7 episodes.   When they'll finish off Darkseid and all will be right with the world.

The highlight was still Oliver as a showgirl, was it something he always wanted to do.   ha.   Lois still on about wanting to marry Clark and how she was waiting for someone like him for such a long time.   Tess seeing Dr Emil in  a new light - along with everyone else, as we find out he was married.   Although it's a little late to give his character some backstory.   I noticed Oliver has his top ripped off and in the next shot when he turns around, the straps can be seen on his back.   Chloe mentions Batman and Wonder Woman.   Oliver mentions the Blair Witch this time round.

Next time Tess and Lionel go head to head in a battle for LutherCorp.

Supernatural - 1.2: "Wendigo" Review

Sam says farewell to Jess for the last time before he and Dean head out in search of Dad and some missing campers. Lots of laughs, serious bits and sadly not much in-fighting between the two.,

Eric Kripke wrote the Teleplay for this episode based on the myth and folklore surrounding the wendigo.   Yes I've said it before and I'll say it again -- everytime I hear wendigo, I regress back to Piper (Holly Marie Coombs) in Charmed who was turned into one; but they cured her!  It's permanently imprinted on my brain!  Oops.

This episode, Sam ( Jared Padelecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) find themselves at Blackwater Ridge, Lost Creek, Colorado; where some campers in the woods have vanished.  Before all that, Sam has to bid farewell to the lost love of his life, Jess (Adrienne Palicki) at Palo Alto, California.  Here Sam confesses to her in death, what he should have done in life.  Now it's too late, but he must come out and say it - "...I should've prepared you, I should've told you the truth!"  Oh, heart wrenching scene!  Her hand reaches out to Sam from beyond the grave as he places the flowers down.  In a chilling moment, reminiscent of Wuthering Heights.  Doomed love.  If Jess was buried there, she must have been a native of Palo Alto.

Also it turns out to be nothing more than a nightmare, as Dean asks this and then whether Sam wants to drive.  Dean believes if they want to find "what" killed Jess, they need to find Dad first, since the two events are related.   I.e. the 'thing' turning up now after 20 years and Dad going off radar.

Coordinates lead them to Blackwater Ridge, where they look into the disappearance of some campers, including Haley's (Gina Holden) brother.  This time Sam and Dean are in the guise of rangers, with fake IDs in tow.

Dean wonders why Sam wants to be all gung ho all of a sudden and jump straight into the case; he's never done that before as Sam is the thinking type.  Dean's the all-action man!  Sam's research leads him to discover people have been going missing in the local woods every 23 years -- now that can't be a coincidence.  In 1958, one man survived and recalls how the "thing" moved very fast and roared, entering the cabin by unlocking the door; dragging his parents away.   Sam's sure it's not a demon.

Sam: "It's something else - something corporeal."
Dean: "Corporeal, excuse me professor."
Sam: "Shut up!"  Here we enter Buffy The Vampire Slayer realm, with the corporeal word,  meaning it can be seen and touched and thus can be killed.  Dean thinks it could be a black dog or skin walker (shapeshifter.)

Haley wants to look for her brother and is determined to go it alone if need be -- in shorts.  Who'd wear shorts in the woods -- in this weather.  The chick is in need of some serious wardrobe advice.  Gotta agree with Dean when he utters the immortal lines, "Sweetheart, I don't do shorts!"
The "thing" takes one of the captives to feed on.

Roy (Callum Keith Rennie) whom we recall as Ray No 2 from Due South is Haley's guide.  He hunts bears and bucks, leading Dean to question if Bambi or Yogi "ever hunt you back." Yes!  Always count on Dean for a funny comment or joke to make light of a dark moment.   In this case it was more sarcasm than comic.

Haley realizes they're not really rangers and Dean has to own up: they're searching for Dad.   Dean: "...this is probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman -- ever." And you can believe that too.   Hey, he called her a woman and not his customary "chick" label.  He's not serious enough to be honest with anyone since he likes his instant gratification, for-the-moment lifestyle, after all, who knows what tomorrow will hold.

This is only episode 2 and already we've got an idea what Sam and Dean are really like.   Dean's all macho, all talk, M&Ms-munching, chick magnet.   Sam's the inquisitive, never make-a-move-without thinking, strategizing, sweet, silent type. Basically, they're chalk and cheese.

Anyway, as for Dean saying he's never been honest, uh Deano, what was that you told Sam about how he's never been honest with Jess?  To be fair, it did appear Sam was being candid with her in the opening part of the episode.  That however turned out to be Sam's nightmare.

The only provisions packed by Dean are peanut M&Ms.  Hearing screams they go in pursuit, but upon returning to their camp, they find their bags missing.  Sam reads up on wendigo lore in dad's journal, well lucky for them, the journal wasn't in the bag.  Dean comments they're usually found in Michigan or Minnesota, not in Colorado.

Roy remarks he's been hunting since Sam's Mom kissed him goodnight.  What an insensitive, horrible thing to say, Sam never knew his Mom, so he wouldn't recall her kissing him goodnight or anything else about her.  What can you say, amateurs!

Dean draws Anasazi symbols around the camp to protect them and prevent evil from entering, in another homage to the X-Files.  What follows next is arguably one of Dean's best speeches ever written.  At least I think so as it sums up the entire premise of Supernatural, well maybe not entirely.

Dean: "...this book, this is Dad's single, most valuable possession.   Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here and he's passed it onto us.  I think he wants us to pick up where he left off.  You know, saving people, hunting things...family business."  Another "from the heart" moment from Dean as he warns Sam that the hunt for Dad and Jess's killer will take time.   (All the better for us.)  In the meantime, they can make things right for others by helping them.

Yeah it's just a TV show, but wouldn't it be wonderful if we had Sam and Dean keeping us safe at night, not to mention warm too; giving us peace of mind and security and a little bit more...  My digression.

As Dean says, "Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can" helps him continue hunting.

Seeing marks on a tree, they follow, making Sam think it's all too easy.  More roars are heard and Haley notices blood dripping onto her.  She and Dean are taken.  Dean leaves behind a trail of peanut M&Ms; though it's a little confusing in that it's not made clear if the M&Ms fall out of Dean's pocket or if he drops them.  The latter being the more plausible.  There has been debate on the subject, believe you me!  At least there weren't squirrels around.

Finding them still alive, including Haley's missing brother, Sam leads them out, whilst Dean finishes the wendigo off by burning it.  Haley's not sure of how to thank Dean, but he can think of a few favours she can perform.  Haley: "Must you cheapen the moment."  Of course -- that's our Dean.   So Sam gets to drive  Dean's beloved Impala, and no one, but no one ever drives it but Dean.

Seems Sam was more inclined to find what killed Jess than what killed Mom after all these years, since he just deserted Dad and Dean thinking the "family business" wasn't as crucial as making a life for himself.   A life that Dean forfeited on, when he obeyed Dad's orders to the letter and stayed to carry on the hunting.

But Sam wasn't so trigger happy here as Dean said.   He did the research, used his brains; in the end it was Dean who took care of the wendigo, this time 'round and it fell on his shoulders to kill the "monster of the week."

Charlies Angels - 1.5: "Angels in Paradise" Review

The angels rescue old friends of Charlie's after they are kidnapped. They take on a case where they have to protect a mother and son from being kidnapped too. Abby meets her father.

Charlie's (Victor Garber) old friend's yacht is hijacked by Mercer (Pedro Pascal) who is wanted for kidnapping.  He demands a $5 million ransom.  "My angels were the answers to his prayers."  Hey Bosley said similar in 1.4 Angels in Chains, "They do answer my prayers," he tells Samantha.   Abby (Rachael Taylor) comments on this being another day in paradise when they go ahead with the rescue.   Eve (Minka Kelly) and Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez) dive underwater and they reach the yacht that way.   Abby demands proof of life and Mercer shows him the boy.   They fight the kidnappers and Abby does her 'Xenia Onatopp' (Famke Janssen) impression  from the 007 Goldeneye movie.   (But not as suggestive.)  Mercer escapes overboard and the explosion is so fake CGI.

Theo, the boy, draws a pic of the angels but leaves out Bosley.   He got footage from the card on the camcorder of a mother and son.   Charlie calls Bosley, 'John' now.   They need to take down Mercer.   Jennifer Wright's (Dina Meyer) son, Wyatt (Albert Frezzer) is a polo player.   Abby knows her but not by name.   Her real name is Lisa Hanson and she was the wife of disgraced NY banker, Michael (Mark Kiely) who was laundering money.   She turned in her husband.   It was easy for Bosley to find her old ID, know he's a great hacker and all that but if he could do it, I'm sure others could do it.  So much for just changing her name.

Jennifer says she wants a new start for Wyatt.   Michael died by jumping from a building and he didn't leave them anything.   They need to stay at a safe house.  Abby tries to convince Wyatt to go along with them and Lily is his girlfriend. She hasn't seen him play yet.   She tells him about her disgraced father, Victor Sampson (John Terry) , so they have a lot in common.   Now she's mentioned daddy dearest he has to make an appearance.   Abby tells him she'll find a way to let him play.   Why weren't Abby and Kate (Annie Ilonzeh) not in disguise since Mercer has seen them both, but he hasn't seen Eve?   Bosley is wearing shirt number 1 and Charlie got him on the team.   Bosley: "I live to surprise you ladies."  And he does too, since there's plenty they don't know about him, just like Charlie.   Abby: "Bosley; the riddle, wrapped in an enigma and covered in Ralph Lauren."  (He has a scent called Ralph Lauren Polo.)

Mercer is in communication with a man  and he recognizes them.   Kate sees a man carrying a camera and sporting a beard but they lose him.   What are they, amateurs?  Obviously that man is after Wyatt cos it's obvious that man is his father.   Wyatt is taken after Bosley is knocked out.   Eve is on the case and rides a horse to the trailer, where she shoots at it, getting Wyatt back.   Abby thinks revenge is a great place to start.   Jennifer doesn't recognize the man and Bosley doesn't have any luck either.   Cue Charlie and his suggestion of a friend at the Attorney Generals in DC who found a connection.   Every week Michael had a power lunch with Abby's father, Victor - Michael's mentor.   Bosley thinks her father can ID him.   Kate reminds her he's been reaching out to Abby, as we saw those letters from him she discarded in the Pilot episode.

Charlie' thinks Victor's their best chance of finding the man but she hasn't seen him in five years and Kate adds he's her father. Does she need reminding?  Abby recalls the father/daughter dance he missed when she was 14.   She stole the Rhodan from his study one day and gave it to him on his birthday.   That got her noticed.   Wyatt makes it to the polo world cup team.   Bosley says they can't contact anyone, so first chance he gets he'll get out somehow.

Abby's mother and brothers don't talk to her - they're both thieves.   Ken was his fave and he's in rehab.   She didn't read his letters but she needs his help and asks him about Michael.   If he helps her she'll need to visit him every week.   He was his mentor so Victor would know he's alive, he tells her about chess.   There's only one reason why Michael would want him: his son.   His strategy is that pawns have info on  the king.   She needs to look hard to find the answer, even though it was staring them in the face.  Oh no joke here about plastic surgery, I assure you.   IF they had nothing and couldn't pay a ransom who else would want Wyatt, but his father.

Bosley looked at the profiles of all of Michael's' employees and his personal staff, one stood out, Francisco Gonzalez, his personal bodyguard.   He now runs a restaurant.   Bosley and Kate pretend to be health inspectors and distract him so Abby can take his key.   She's a master thief but she needs his key to break into his easily accessible apartment.  What a joke.   She finds  a photo of Wyatt, a beard, fake and medication and still the penny doesn't drop.   Her aunt used such medication for plastic surgery.  Bosley catches the bearded man outside who admits Wyatt is his son.   He faked his suicide and wants Wyatt back.

Wyatt sneaks out to see Lily and uses the old shower ploy.   Why bother with the shower anyway?   Lily tells Eve he was taken by a man.   Jennifer slaps Michael.   Mercer calls to arrange a meet and it's surprising he didn't hear Jennifer breathing on the other end.   He demands more money.   They foil the meet and get Wyatt back with Michael attempting to get away, so much for wanting his son.   He meets Bosley in the lift.

Charlie is sorry she had to see her father but she said he helped them with the case.   Charlie is adamant the angels cracked the case, yeah cos it was that difficult.   But earlier on Charlie said Victor could help them.   Kate reminds not all families are screwed up, the angels aren't and they're family.   Victor made a chess set in prison for her.   He knew Michael was alive as already said and he knew Abby would work it out.   Abby wonders if they ever stopped playing and he wants to know where she met Charlie but she's never seen him in person.   He worries about her and was angry when she was arrested.   Charlie gave her a second chance.   Victor: "Charles Townsend has an agenda."  When he reveals it, she'll "know if he's truly on the side of angels."  Another breadcrumb that was meant to keep us watching.   Charlie with an ulterior motive? Never heard of that in the original angels.  Was he building his own angel army, ha?

In the original Charlie's Angels episode Angels on Horseback, there's an angel's chase scene entirely on horseback.   Here Eve got a few seconds and even managed to shoot out the trailer to rescue Wyatt.   Nips and Tucks saw a wealthy criminal given a new face, here Michael already had one.   In Target: Angels, Charlie's mansion was on show where the angels stayed at 674 Vinewood Lane.   No such mention of Charlie's mansion here but being in Miami of course he's got to have one or two.   But Jennifer and Wyatt are taken to a safehouse.   In that episode the real target of the assassin was Charlie.   As for the shower being left on by Wyatt, remember the old shower curtain poly Sabrina (Kate Jackson) used in the episode Angels on a String.   In the season 4 episode Love Boat Angels, Kris(Cheryl Ladd) is seen in scuba attire like Eve here.   Also in season 5's Angels of the Deep, Julie (Tanya Roberts) dons scuba gear.

Victor talks of Charlie having an ulterior motive and thus he would have amassed plenty of enemies even if we know nothing about Charlie yet, like how he made his fortune, his daughter Elizabeth, etc.     Does Victor know Charlie from his business dealings?  Perhaps someone's been singing about him in prison.    Dina Meyer in yet another bit part, this time playing a mother.  She really needs some more screen time in the shows she guests in.

Smallville - 10.14: "Masquerade" Review

Clark contemplates a disguise to hide his persona of the Blur, with Lois' help and in much the same way Chloe ponders her own identity and who or what Oliver means to her.

Lois (Erica Durance) plans the wedding and tells Clark (Tom Welling) that her guests are in danger of recognizing his 'super' friends.   Then sees Clark as the Blur outside of Big Ben in London.   (Hey England no longer uses those sirens here and especially not for police cars.)  Upon his return to Metropolis, Lois calls him 'Smallville' so Clark immediately knows he's in trouble again; oh and those Brit accents on the TV were awful! with a capital AW!  She warns Clark is in danger of being recognized as the Blur.   But Clark feels he's okay, he didn't get into any sort of trouble.   He then says he spellchecked his story after Lois shows him the paper (Clark and his spellchecker comments, he used those for Lois last time.)  Lois has to spell out, 'heroes' and circles Clark's photo next to it.   He needs a new disguise, which is really what this episode was all about: disguises: Chloe's (Allison Mack), Oliver's (Justin Hartley) and Clark's need for them.

Chloe and Oliver meet at a swanky restaurant for dinner and he's disguised in his hat and shades, carrying on Chloe's hat and shades disguise form last episode.   She's meeting Oliver Queen, it's hard to live normally.   Couldn't help thinking their entire disguise scene was a send-up of the whole Clarkie mask thing.   Chloe can call Oliver her boyfriend.  If he had been seen as Oliver he says he could have gotten a table without any hassles.

The Joneses are paged and they're Oliver and Chloe.   A take on the Brangelina Mr and Mrs Smith movie on play here.   Really (Smith) and Jones need newer aliases!  Chloe refers to herself as the "girl with no identity" and Oliver as "the guy with a secret,"  but he's no longer got a secret.

Lois has sewn a hood onto Clark's Blur jacket and gives him shades (store must have made a fortune selling those.)  She calls his vision "x-ray vision."  Clark doesn't want to don a mask.   Lois reminds him Oliver didn't want to wear a mask either and Clark says that was his choice to make.   She tells him Oliver "two identities, which went to one to none."  She asks what if someone recognizes his suit and tie as the Blur.

Mr Jones has a call and Mrs Jones dies on the other end - amongst other DBs.   Obviously the killer is Desaad ( Steve Byers) Chloe doesn't know where to start looking for Jones.   Men with guns wait in Oliver's limo.   Oh so no one recognized Oliver's limo and these men, apparently FBI agents don't recognize Oliver or that he's Green Arrow.   Where have they been?

Burt the forensics guy recognizes Clark from the other CS.   He comments that a clip of the Blur looked like Clark, so he may "as well put an 'S' on your chest."  More allusions to the Superman Clark will become.   Clark pulls Burt up from falling into a hole and puts it down to adrenalin and the centre of gravity.  Burt sees Clark as a hero.   Desaad plays coroner Blane and Clark uses his vision and notices marks on the Vic.   Which Desaad puts down to a leaky pen on his part.   He thinks the deaths were caused by someone "who's given in to his/her darkest urges."  An obvious clue.   Come on Clarkie, everyone's been talking about the darkness for weeks now and as soon as Desaad mentions darkest urges nothing clicks, as Lois would say.   So he missed the subtle hint there.

Chloe and Oliver argue in the limo boot/trunk, this is more romantic a kidnapping for Oliver out of his most recent kidnappings.   Chloe hasn't forgotten their one year anniversary, it's been a year since 'they've been doing whatever they've been doing'.   Oliver tells her she doesn't know what to call him.   Chloe calls him competitive, well that's one name for him.   Oliver and Chloe fight the men, in another scene reminiscent of Mr and Mrs Smith and realize they're FBI agents.   She finds a file on Mr and Mrs Jones and x-ray scans of the Omega symbol of the Darkness.   Leading to Desaad's club, where Oliver climbs in and leaves her outside where she's approached by Mr Jones, who later expires courtesy of Desaad.   Whoever visited his club all had Omega symbols on their heads.   Chloe is kidnapped, now it's her turn again.

Burt sends forensic photos to Lois and she's lucky to be engaged to such a "super guy." Jeff bumps into Clark.   Clark sees the stamps on the photos and the penny drops, ha, realizing the coroner lied.   Clark calls his vision 'microvision', it's his power so he can call it what he likes.   Appears this microvision is something that he's just gotten.   Oliver shows Clark the file and he recognizes Desaad as being an agent of the Darkness, killing those he can't convert.   They find the business is registered to an address where Clark goes but Oliver doesn't stay behind since he's not going to leave Chloe there.

Desaad attempts to convert Chloe to the dark side, first as Clark, who wants to kiss her and thinks maybe they missed their chance to be together.   Then Oliver tries to take her away from everything, they don't need to be heroes.   Followed by Lois trying to convince Chloe she wants what Lois and Clark have.   Desaad finally shows up as himself and attempts to get Chloe to kill him but she refuses to give in.   Throwing the knife from him.   Chloe then turns up as herself, white suited again and tells the tied up Chloe, she was too proud to ask for help which is why she vanished.   Chloe realizes she's being tempted by the seven deadly sins, Clark was lust, Oliver was sloth, Lois envy, Desaad was temptation and Chloe was pride.  

The sins worked when he was trying to convert others.   But being used here was a bit overdone, couldn't they have used something different.   Chloe proved she was stronger than Oliver, who gives in when Desaad tells him Chloe's dead.   Desaad tells Clark he's loyal to a greater power, to Darkseid: finally a name.  Clark has more love in his heart and he's stronger than when he faced Godfrey and Granny.   Clark can't be corrupted.   So he unleashes some major black power onto Clark.   Clark fights Desaad's power but Oliver beats him up, until Clark tells him he rescued Chloe; but it's too late.  

Clark removes his name from  the story, he's been drawing too much attention to himself lately.   He hasn't needed a mask until now.   His face is that of a man his parents raised, the man Lois loves. "Who I am should define what I'm called."  Clark Kent is a word.   The Blur is who he really is, who he always was.   Clark will be the mask and not the Blur.   He puts on glasses.   People need to believe he's just ordinary.   Lois says and not "Super."  He'll be ready and uses his middle finger to push his glasses.   Then bumps into Jeff.   Lois points out who it really is as Jeff doesn't recognize Clark with glasses and Clark tells him it's his fault he bumped into him.

Chloe realizes she was many things over the years, defined by a group or person.   She hasn't felt like herself since the days of The Torch.   She's afraid she'll lose the part of her that's left.   Oliver knows who she is.   Oliver can call her his girlfriend.   Oliver will be in the spotlight all his life, he is who he is and stopped hiding from it.   Just like Clark, he too realizes he needs to be who he is, but Clark must maintain the disguise.   Oliver switches off the lights and the Omega symbol is visible inside his head.

Thus he's converted without even knowing it.   A big clue missed by Clark and by Oliver that clearly Oliver's very passionate about doing the right thing and he's also very vocal in using his anger and rage.   Like he stopped himself from fighting Lionel, he couldn't do that here when he realizes Chloe is dead, thus falling for his darkside.   Though appears he was easily corrupted.

As for Clark now becoming the bungling reporter Clark Kent of the Daily Planet, seems a bit tacked on considering he was a jock/hunk all through his teen years etc, will people really believe now he's wearing glasses he's inept.   That's a stereotype if ever there was one.  Not everyone who wears glasses is stupid, clumsy or geeky.

The Closer - 6.9: "Last Woman Standing" Review

Brenda investigates the death of an actress after she went on a date with a man from an Internet dating service. Brenda has to prepare for her Chief of Police interview with the Mayor.

Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) and the squad are called in to investigate the murder of an actress, Judy Lynn (Rhea Seehorn). TOD is placed at 36 hours.   There is evidence of sexual activity but not of sexual assault.   Judy was suffocated with a cushion, and she has a trace of thread on her mouth from where she bit onto the cushion.   There's blood in the hall and spatter on the picture on the wall.   Flynn (Tony Dension) and Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) demonstrate what most likely happened to Judy.   Taylor (Robert Gossett) reminds Brenda of the final interview she has with the Mayor and she ignores him, wanting to proceed with the case.  Tao (Michael Paul Chan) asks someone to disconnect the cable on the other side of the closet.   Remember this for later.

Stewart (JD Cullum) found her and called for help.  He directed her in one of his shows and he also introduced her to to an online dating service, which he regrets doing.   Judy also kept a Blog.   The dating service is LAGuysandDolls and Judy had a date with dreamweaver.   There are no photos or records of him.   Judy's apartment had a security camera which Gifford (Tom Clark) tells them about and from the footage, Buzz (Phillip P Keene) identifies a Camero, which Gifford says is not owned by any of the tenants.   He knows them all.   A man is seen outside wearing a sport jacket and he stands outside his car for a long time.   His face can't be seen but he's identified as dreamweaver.  

Pope (JK Simmons) mentions Brenda's final interview and she admits she doesn't want the job after all.   Brenda is told she can't just give up as it won't look good for the LAPD.   Taylor comments Pope would lose his job and Major Crimes could be disbanded.  Capt Raydor (Mary McDonnell) wants to prep Brenda for her interview.   Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) - he always interrupts - found dreamweaver, Mark Torres (Nicholas Gonzalez) and he has another date.   As they have Mark's address they can now get a search warrant for his apartment.   Mark, though smarmy, didn't look like the killer, he was too arrogant.   Brenda lets Taylor handle the case and they set up surveillance at the cafe.

Raydor gives Brenda fashion advice, something she's not keen on and says she has a wardrobe of clothes at home but likes to dress conservatively for work.   Also she needs another bag cos hers is okay for suspects but not for the Mayor, who wants to meet with Brenda to see if they'll gel together.   Though we know how Brenda gets on with certain people.   Tao gets the opportunity to closely examine Mark's Camero and takes prints from the car, plants a tracking device and notices his car has been keyed, which is what he must have been staring at when he stood outside his car for so long.   Sanchez takes Mark's straw for DNA after he leaves.   Provenza (GW Bailey) comments on Mark's chat up line and if it works he'll use it himself.   He's also used a dating service before.

They follow Mark to his apartment and know he's with another woman.  Taylor orders them to arrest him, to save the woman who turns out to be his fiance.   Flynn remarks he's trouble.   Brenda tries to take the blame for ordering the arrest, then asks for 10 minutes to prove he's the killer.   For this she needs Fritz (Jon Tenney) and gives him a list of questions to ask Mark, including if Mark was at Judy's apartment, if they had sex.  Mark replies in the negative.   Brenda repeats the same questions, showing him a photo of Judy and also of him outside her apartment, pointing out he's wearing the same sport jacket.   Mark trying to be clever says he has many relatives in the police and asks for a lawyer.   He says it's not illegal to lie to the police, but Brenda replies it is illegal to lie to the FBI.

Tao has found Judy's last Blog, made before her death but wasn't posted.   She hates Internet dating and Mark's jacket is seen on the bed.   Afterward he asked if he could use her shower.   Brenda notices the absence of something on Judy's bed in the footage.  Brenda arrives for work next day, dressed to impress and Raydor certainly is.   They take Mark to Judy's apartment and ask Gifford to see if everything is in its place.   Gabriel asks him to connect the cable to the socket in the closet.   The cushion used to suffocate Judy, is found in the closet along with a stool where Gifford used to watch Judy from.   Brenda says they found his DNA there.   He admits he was looking out for her and keyed Mark's car when Brenda shows him the paint residue on his keys.

Gifford pushed her back when she found him and she hit her head.   When she woke she wouldn't stop screaming and he had to shut her up.   Mark asks why he was there with them and Brenda tells him she had to key his car since the paint on the keys wouldn't have lasted that long.   She agrees to get the FBI charges dropped if he pays for the paintwork.   Raydor asks Brenda of she really doesn't want to be Chief and how she'll disappoint thousands of women who see her as a role model.   Then tells her she knows Brenda slept with the boss to get the position and Raydor worked for hers.   She admits she admires Brenda.   Then thinks she's going to take her big black bag with her, but surprise, surprise, she pulls out a smaller one.

Brenda's big day arrives and everyone lets her know, but we don't get to see her meeting with the Mayor, after all the hype.   I didn't like the dress she wore, she's worn better than that in the past.   Apparently this dress was bought by Brenda in the season 1 episode About Face.   Another episode to show the pitfalls and dangers of Internet dating, only this time the killer was someone actually in her home and closer to home, than being an Internet predator.   Brenda admits she doesn't want the job but she's kind of coerced into going forward for the good of the LAPD and women in general.   A bit of blackmail involved too, with threats about Pope losing his job and there no longer being a Major Case squad.

Brenda without her trademark bag looked a little out of place.   Her black bag appears to be a confidence booster for her, let's face it, she practically carries everything in it.

Merlin - 3.9: "Love in the Time of Dragons" Review

Uther believes someone is practising magic in the town and sends Gaius to investigate. It turns out to an old friend of his,Alice, who is being manipulated into killing Uther.

A catchy title for this episode as it demonstrates how long ago Gaius (Richard Wilson) knew Alice (Pauline Collins) and that their love transcends time and dragons.   There'd be plenty of dragons around when they met each other as magic was practiced freely.

Alice summons a creature known as a Manticore and it encourages her to do its bidding.   Like the way her eyes turned black, an oft used ploy in many shows to depict evil and magic.   Uther (Anthony Head) suspects someone, a "physician" has been using the black arts; magic, to cure 'incurable' conditions in the town.  There have been many miracles and sends Gaius to investigate and report back.

Finally Merlin (Colin Morgan) gets to say what we've all been saying when he talks of the hypocrisy of Uther; it was fine to use magic to save Morgana (Katie McGrath) as it suited his purpose and being his daughter she had to be saved at all costs.   Yet he punishes and puts to death anyone else who is caught doing the same thing, whether it be for good or for evil.   As he did with Gwen's (Angel Coulby) father and he was innocent of all charges.

As soon as the innkeeper tells Gaius of his cure, Gaius immediately knows who is behind it but doesn't admit this to Uther, knowing the consequences to this healer if he does.   It is good to see Gaius protect someone close to him too, just as Uther demanded the same protection and cure for Morgana and also that he will keep secrets from Uther to do exactly that.   It is not a question of him betraying his loyalty to the king, but rather Uther doesn't need to know everything if there is nothing evil amongst them.  Also showing that Gaius could defy Uther, even after the great purge, when so many were put to death for using magic.   That he chooses not to, shows great strength of character and forgiveness within Gaius, to a certain extent; since if he wanted revenge for this, he could have it at any time.  In contrast to Morgana and her treachery against Uther, someone he really cares for; whereas Gaius is nothing more than his physician.   Conversely it also shows the trust Uther has in Gaius as he takes him at his word.

Gaius tells Uther no magic was used, but Merlin knows better as he says the potion administered to the innkeeper was enchanted.   He also recognized the totem the innkeeper had; displaying signs of old magic.  A bit dangerous leaving that lying around, especially since someone else who practiced magic would know exactly what it was.

Now it's Gaius's turn to slip away at night and for Merlin to follow.  He spies Gaius hug his old flame, Alice; who turns out to be his former fiancee.   They both have a few fleeting moments of remembering the old days and of their past love from 20 years ago.   He warns of Uther's suspicions and wants her to leave Camelot.   Alice having an ulterior motive, tells him she only wanted to see him once more.   The creature, the Manticore tells her of Gaius's usefulness in getting close to Uther and his throne and orders her to obey.

Merlin tells Gaius he followed him and Gaius tells how he met Alice after he became Uther's physician.   She has "the gift." She was famous in Camelot for her healing, until the great purge.   Uther had a list of those who practiced magic and hunted them all down.   Gaius removed her name from the list.   Here was a missed opportunity on the part of the writers to delve more into the Great Purge and how Gaius felt about losing those 'names' on the list.   People he would have known and was forced to see them hunted down and 'purged'!  Yet he bears no ill will towards Uther.   Gaius gives Alice a joint of meat and watch out for this joint turning up everywhere!  Was that some sort of an in-joke, or joke for our benefit.

Arthur (Bradley James) practices his weaponry skills on Merlin who feigns tiredness.   Merlin sees the Manticore for himself when Alice extracts venom from its tail to poison Uther with and she helps Gaius prepare Uther's remedy for an old wound.   Strange Gaius is reluctant to believe Merlin when he says he is being blinded by his feelings for her, he is meant to be his guardian and he has never lied to him.   It's hard to believe Merlin wouldn't like Alice because Gaius is spending all his time with her, yet Gaius is still willing to trust someone he hasn't seen in so long.

Merlin reads a book (!) and finds the Manticore is a creature of myth.   The box that contains it, is a portal through which it appears.  He helps Arthur with training again and tells him how he had a fight with Gaius.  Arthur reassures him it means nothing as he argues with Uther all the time.   This scene shows that Arthur, at least tries, to treat Merlin as a friend, at times, rather than just a servant.   To the point of cheering him up by punching him.   That will help since Arthur does that to the knights all the time.  Merlin: "They're thick."
Arthur: "I'm a knight."
Merlin: "There you go again."  Well some credit to Arthur at least he tried in his own way to cheer him up.   He clearly hasn't get any friends outside of the circle of knights, suppose that's the price you pay for being a prince.

Alice manages to poison the remedy and Uther drinks it too.   Again showing his trust for Gaius since Uther's food and drink are tasted for poison but not his remedy.   Merlin is conspicuously absent from dinner as the alarm bells sound.   Uther opens his eyes to show the blackness within, and immediately Merlin realizes Alice was behind it.  Gaius doesn't listen and Merlin is left with no choice but to tell Arthur who arrests her for treason.   Her defence is being influenced by the Manticore.   Yeah, who's going to believe that in the dark ages?!

Their only hope in saving Uther and Alice is to kill the Manticore and destroy its portal.   Gaius hopes his magic will be strong enough to do so.  Gaius's eyes turn yellow as he uses magic, and the Manticore is finally destroyed.   Merlin: "Not too bad for a has been."  They made all that noise and no one heard them! Again Gaius shows great restraint when Uther orders Alice's execution.   That's the first thing Uther turns to everytime, and it can be asked has executing people really helped in any way as he's faced with the same problems of magic being used, even after he's had it outlawed.   Yet Uther continues to be closed off to this.

Alice escapes, with a little help from Gaius.   So how many escaped prisoners does that make; or should that read, have been let out!

We finally get to see Gaius use some magic.   Also in an episode where Morgana would have relished the sight of Uther being killed, she's curiously absent here.  Along with her smirking.   Shame on you writers, here they preferred to concentrate on Gaius and his love.  Merlin showing his real feelings for Gaius when he turns Alice in, he had no other choice, and how he still needs Gaius around for help and guidance and vice versa.   Although, strictly speaking it was a form of betrayal on Merlin's part, couldn't he have found another way to open Gaius to Alice's doings.   That was a surprise in his character, since you wouldn't expect him to do something like that and especially not to Gaius.  He is also forgiving of Merlin for putting Alice in jeopardy.

Oh and where was Gwen too?  Not very often you get main characters missing from shows.  Arthur only had a small part too.

Gaius once again chooses to stay at Camelot, to watch over Merlin, instead of choosing Alice.   Whilst Merlin wants nothing more than a slice of that same joint of meat, which has been passed back to Gaius.